Kind: captions
Language: en
everybody welcome to another episode of
impact Theory you are here my friends
because you believe that human potential
is nearly limitless but you know that
having potential is not the same as
actually doing something with it so our
goal with this show and company is to
introduce you to the people and ideas
that will help you actually execute on
your dreams all right today's guest is
the quintessential rags to riches story
he was born to immigrant parents grew up
hard on the streets of East LA and
drifted in and out of biker gangs but
ultimately took himself from homeless to
self-made
multi-billionaire his life literally
sounds like it's been ripped from the
pages of a Hollywood screenplay his
father left when he was just 2 years old
he had to sell newspapers and Christmas
cards at the age of 9 to help support
his family at one point he knows young
son were forced to live out of a car he
ended up having to sell encyclopedias
door-to-door to make ends meet and even
that success proof fleeting leaving him
homeless again at age 36 but as with any
great Hollywood tale things were darkest
just before the dawn and he ended up
turning a fortuitous encounter with a
hairstylist named Paul into an idea for
a company and despite the backers
pulling out at the 11th hour the pair
went on to launch and grow through sheer
force of will what is now the global
powerhouse Paul Mitchell a company that
made him a household name and
fantastically wealthy in the process but
that was just the beginning and less
than 10 years later he co-founded an
even more successful company called
Patron tequila placing in the very rare
pantheon of entrepreneurs who have had
multiple home runs and what makes his
success so beautiful is that he's done
it the right way putting his employees
first John Paul Mitchell Systems has had
turnover of less than 70 people in 35
years and he is baked philanthropy into
the core culture of all of his companies
so please help me in welcoming the
recipient of the Horatio Alger Award for
distinguished American and the
philanthropist and founder of the peace
love and happiness foundation John Paul
DeJoria
thank you our large is the greater
reduction thank you very much van Hyde
America still works and that's a perfect
place to start so reading your story it
really feels like the American Dream
that I grew up with as a kid that I'm
not sure people think of as the same
American dream if you had to define the
American dream what would you say it is
that when you think that there's all the
opportunity you want you don't know any
better you go after it in my generation
it was a pleasure work weather was of
the variety boys club at seven years old
making flowerpots going and selling them
or Christmas cards at 9:00 or
going on the streets at a law 11 years
old delivering morning newspapers for us
it was fun to work now what do we do
with the money we gave to my mom so we
have a better way of life we've gotten
to high school my brother and I saved a
little bit of it for our car which
happened to be a junker but we rebuilt
in an auto shop but because we for us it
was a pleasure to work you know just
because while we had a job it was so
cool so it's a little different in those
days than today we also knew that if we
produce something we produced it if we
want to go somewhere you got to do it if
there's problems along the way and I'd
love to say this especially to
entrepreneurs one of the great secrets
in life to becoming successful whether
it's in a business whether it's working
with someone or for someone or in your
personal life and I learned this selling
encyclopedias door-to-door early 20s is
be prepared in life for a lot of
rejection because if you're prepared for
a lot of rejection that comes you don't
get turned off you don't get
disappointed like well I'm not going to
do this anymore no one thinks it's a
good idea it's like I say selling
encyclopedias not coming hundred doors
they slab them you're faced you must be
just as enthusiastic on door number 101
as door number one and that's what the
real secrets and growing up as kids in
downtown LA we all knew that we didn't
have a lot leaders a lot of things are
going to turn you down at seven trying
to sell flowerpot on the street most
people said no but it's only 50 cents no
no no student waitress and all
restaurant said only 50 cents that's
really great she bought it from us we
wouldn't built another one that you that
you vote that really is like one of the
secrets to the universe of my opinion
that ability to stay as enthusiastic on
door 101 as you were on door 1 when you
had it slammed in your face over and
over and over how is that something you
can teach like in fact have you parted
that on to your kids like is that
something that they have adopted and if
so how did you pull that off definitely
it's just like your viewers of your
fabulous show here they've just heard me
say that now if they write that on a
piece of paper be prepared for a lot of
rejection whether some their personal
life that someone says you're too old
you're too fat you're too young you're
not going to do anything other than yes
you've got holes in your nose you got
things coming out your ears whatever is
other than yes this is wonderful
relicense can happen in life as soon as
people know that when something goes
wrong they look at a piece of paper oh
yeah that reminds me the other quote
that give people a lot especially
entrepreneurs is any business you're in
whether it's a service or whether it's a
product or anybody you work with that
has a product or a service always make
sure that your product or your service
is of the highest quality you could ever
make it because you do not want to be
you do not want to be in the selling
business you want to be in the reorder
business grant it you've got to tell
somebody what your idea is I mean how
it's going to cure something they may
need but the quality has to be so good
that after that they want to reorder it
or if it's a one-time item tell friends
about it and if people think in whatever
they're doing in life in the reorder
business what is with a personal
relationship whatever you see right now
your to see again and again and again
it's going to enhance they'll be ups and
downs here's my product it's so darn
good you're going to use it we started
Paul Mitchell we had no money but we
knew our product was so darn good that
we got an ounce of enough people they're
going to be reordering it because it was
that quality service the same way and I
love that stands I mean you can see that
across all of your company is that
you're really going for or the best of
the best to make the experience better
and
getting to understand your technique and
selling is easy once you get to Paul
Mitchell and I do want you to walk us
through that in a second but how did you
get through like tactically to a sale in
the Encyclopaedia world like people
don't want to hear from you they're like
how do you overcome that what a question
ask me the average encyclopedia salesman
lasted three days I was at for three and
a half years and the way it worked in
those days it was commissioned only so
the way it worked is you went for an
interview they told you all you could
possibly make off commission only and we
were in training for three days it was a
presentation that was scripted we'd have
to memorize the whole thing we got in
the field you remember parts of it you
knock on doors you're not quite sure of
yourself a lot of doors are closed in
your face but what happens after a while
you start getting used to it and you see
what you can say or do that'll make it
better when you go back the next day
with your other salespeople once you see
what you do what did I say so let's say
knock on 100 doors get into one give 10
presentations to sell one book but then
when you get better and better at it
through your experiences and losses
along the way it sharpens you up we're
all of a sudden I got to a point where
if I gave three presentations I have no
lesson 1 order commission only but I
believed that I could do that I believe
that colleagues were the best set of
books because I school student could
read it wasn't like a college manual you
had to read and I was doing something
good for somebody so you have to believe
that what you're doing is good it's
going to benefit somebody and you learn
as you go ok do I look someone in the
eye so you want to know these things
look them in the eye all too often
people say it's hard to look some in the
eye because you feel uncomfortable of
course you do they're not on the same
wavelength your honor the same frequency
so what do you do how do you ever come
back you learn these things along the
way you look them right between the eyes
or at the eyebrows looks like it like
nobody I I've been working on a book for
a couple of years or some of these tips
and it's not ready yet maybe next year
I'll be ready but uh there's all these
thing and of course smile smiles the
most wonderful thing God gave us and you
don't smile when you first talk to
somebody you smile before you know on
their door if your day sucks you fake it
hi how you doing when you smile
everything changes people change it's
interesting I've heard you talk about
that before how even on a phone call if
you smile on the other end like and if
somebody's having a bad day you were
like if you walk into an elevator and
people are like totally turned in on
their own world that just a smile can
literally change their brain chemistry I
think that's really really a powerful
reminder how much do you think that
doing the the door-to-door sales
sharpened you trained you to be
successful in business tremendously
update still sold encyclopedias
door-to-door all my children would be
inclined and made to do that for at
least three months what an experience
you're on your own you make no money
unless you do something and they're not
even expecting you you go there
door-to-door and try and get in and try
to tell some of these books are gonna be
good for you here's how you use them
yeah I really hope that people listening
heard that that if that was the thing
you would still make your kids do it
because it's such a profound proving
ground it's a way to sharpen your skills
it's a chance to handle rejection so I
did door-to-door sales for a while I was
not the man you were I assure you I did
it probably for about three or four
months but it it is the loneliest like
it is so awkward like they don't want
you there and you have to like you have
to literally each and every time talk
yourself up get in that like space where
you can come put the smile on and to the
the people that are able to do that and
develop the internal game in order to
get to that point I think is is just
super critical and a lot of people want
the easy answer not realizing that going
through the hard thing is a thing that's
ultimately going to toughen you up right
you're struggling hard times will follow
you you've got to go do something how do
you know what to do sometimes you don't
sometimes you don't know what the hell
video you just out there doing yet and
you just kind of learn from your own
experience or go with whatever your
heart tells you to do and if something
goes wrong you ask some guy here's what
I said was that right you just kind of
improve yourself but many times if
you're there you don't have an answer go
with your heart give an answer just say
I really don't know but I'm going to
find out and we'll get back to you
I love that attitude like were you
actively saying in your head as you
approached going up to knock on these
doors that each one of these is an
opportunity to learn something mine kind
of was this is the beginning okay was
successful people do the things that
successful people what to do I'm sorry
about that you literally repeat oh yeah
that's where I learned that what phrase
is a great phrase my gosh and then at
the end over three or four hours and
then you still haven't gotten the door
giving a presentation the second face
that God knows where it came from but
just came to me was when the goings
tough the tough get going one more
drawer one more smile and it was tough
it was I think a week before I even sold
my first set of books to I just just
kept going I love that there's no secret
formula to your success that it's really
been these basic building blocks
convincing yourself to do it in fact
walk people through how do you go from
you show up one day and your wife is
walking out the door and she hands you
the keys and you know basically she
leaves you you're in your darkest hour
you've you've explained pretty well like
how you don't get stuck at level one
right well that was level - one or two
okay that time II I had been the master
of ceremonies for the sports vacation
recreational vehicle show that weekend
had something new to do the following
week but uh whatever little money had
the bank she took that check coming from
them wasn't coming in for one week and
needless to say she didn't pay the rent
I didn't know it in paid electric bill
within three days we were out of there
was kind of down and I think at that
time coming from an environment we you
run across a lot of things that are very
disappointing I just looked at okay I
have no money have a kid okay got ahold
of an old car that was loaned to me we
got a house now we could put you know
some of her her stuff our blankets that
go and they're close to going there
right we'll store the rest of my mom's
house I was too proud to tell my mother
mom I'm down and out I got a kid you
know fella split mom Cambo room back my
son makes me I was stupid this happened
twice in my life I was ashamed to even
tell her so idea that there were coke
bottles everywhere in those days or soda
pop bottles two cents for little one
five cents for a big one I went around
collecting them which helped with
ecology cash them in in those days every
grocery store liquor store had to give
you the money and how did you keep going
though like how did you not okay I'm out
of survival mode now so now I'm there
and most people stay there forever like
how did you get to the next level and
the next and the next well for me it was
I knew I had to work plus had this
little kid so I would drop them off at
two and a half years old to little
nursery school that time the one I went
to was free the city actually had one I
couldn't have to have a job maybe other
guys we were around and have jobs I knew
I needed a job to take care of myself my
son and be able to one day have enough
money to get an apartment to move on I
plan things like that out did you say
okay list item number one apartment or
job or like how did you put the plan
together number one was just survival
period and not having told my mom when
I'm going through again was pride stupid
pride but then after that it was one
thing led to the other had one thing the
survival part was saying care if then it
was okay what do I want to be doing and
how do I do that well the first thing is
you got to have an income you got to
have a job they just started getting it
together and things fell in place now
along the way there were jobs I had
where I was fired at those jobs for the
dumbest reasons in the world
but each one I was fired from taught me
something there were three companies the
beauty industry I worked with I was a
vice president of two of them and the
national manager of one of them and each
one of my divisions did very well I was
there in one cup case I was a trainer
for the whole company and they grew 50%
million dollars I was there I surely
after I started with 700 bucks John Paul
Mitchell Systems two years later
something flashed in my mind Wow there
is something called fate there is
something called your destiny if you
don't do it be open it could do it for
you had I not worked for all three
companies it would have been impossible
to start John Paul Mitchell Systems with
$700 to any amount of money each company
I reflected taught me a different thing
one about the beauty industry and
distribution the other one about making
products are bringing top artists and
the other one about how to make these
bottles these products were to get it
all three we're stepping stones for me
and I never knew it goes back to a
you're talking about rejection be
prepared for a lot of rejection if every
time something goes bad where you
rejected or turned down for something if
luckily remember that be prepared for it
well this was a surprise was surprised
to me I didn't expect it but what
happened it was well it's meant to be to
do something else I was just meant to do
something else look at the backer our
backer pulled out I needed a half a
million dollars Paul Mitchell start John
Paul McKay and this story's in cry have
to have half a million dollars I knew
that our backer pulled out the last but
never got a diamond I stopped doing
everything I was doing how last minute
are we talking here like that day we
were just had to pay for the artwork a
thousand dollars there we had the
silkscreen er set up the bottle company
set up the filler set up was all set up
a 30-day critics they knew me in the
industry I did well was going to go good
now what was a blessing on that one we
struggled but we believed what we had
was the best the blessing was we each
had 30 percent the investors would give
40 percent we end up with owning the
company have you ever talked to the
investor that pulled out he's got to be
kicking himself what what an incredible
opportunity it's like a master's class
in business right there other sesame
yeah but so many people shut down with
necessity and I mean look it's it's not
a surprise that with that attitude that
you've gone on to have the kind of
success that you do and the thing that I
try to really get
the next generation of entrepreneurs to
understand is there's there's like just
tactical business principles that you
have to understand and some of its pure
psychology and some of it is just
knowing that there's always another
solution really if people break down the
things you do and ending with the final
thing that I think you have a real gift
for which is the things that you're
telling yourself to stay motivated to
keep pushing forward to understand that
you know when you're at that dark moment
that there is a path out of this and
that you have to look for that and keep
pushing and smile like all these like
really basic things that you've stacked
on top of them so how then do we go from
that to the Paul Mitchell that we know
today well obviously it was head to
mouth for the first two years but we
knew we had the best there was we just
kept on working it and working with it
telling hairdressers will be the first
one to never cut you out most people
have done in the beauty industry and
said hey we're only going to be in
salons a lot of companies all of a
sudden they're in department stores or
in drug stores and supermarkets but we
kept on telling people if you ever and
you still do today see Paul Mitchell in
the drugstore supermarket it's either
counterfeit or from the black/gray
market we don't put it there we only put
in salons but the demand for paul
mitchell exceeds where you could get it
it's only in salons and maybe only in
10% of all salons so people know it's
the best there is and people can
actually pay full retail in the salon
for paul mitchell put it on their
drugstore shelf up to $2 and they
celebrate bottle they have because
people don't know when it caught they
just know it's really really good stuff
so we kind of kept with what we had and
always make sure any new product we came
out with was the best it could possibly
be well what's interesting about the
beauty industry and quality my first
three products are still some of the
best sellers we've had them down for
almost 37 years it's that quality make
sure your service or your products the
very best it is plus we gave back along
the way and we gave back along the way
we were the first never to test on
animals and say you can't Wow we were
ridiculed or competitors put us down
because they were doing it 10 15 years
later they had somebody else do it so
they couldn't say we were doing it we
helped change things and we were very
proud that we did that so he kept our
values and kept it olena business and
realized you're so free lunch we kept on
working you seem to have a really strong
internal set of values when did that
begin to take shape in terms of policies
that you could implement an attorney was
it right away did that take time when I
worked for other companies some of them
not mentioning names were so bad they
would treat people the old way I'm the
boss here's what you're going to do
because I'm the boss right or there were
times for example when maybe had a
dollar for lunch you can't get a lot for
a dollar so I just knew that that's how
I was and if I had a company that I had
a control of my gosh everyone's going to
be treated the way I wanted to be
treated so the minute we could afford it
everyone had free lunch whether you had
money or not you have free lunch we pay
for it for you
our people will pay for that so we
started doing things for people that I
wish happened to me maybe that's part of
fate maybe because a lot of things along
the way weren't so good that as things
started getting good it was so easy for
me to share with other people so easy to
do that people sometimes don't save
money as soon as we possibly could
afford it we started profit sharing
where at the end of every year it will
take that profit sharing and putting a
retirement fund for you is yours it's
yours here are so many years it goes
with you no matter where you go but it
sure is it's your money that's really
incredible and how much do you think
that that sort of Golden Rule approach
has fed into your
ridiculously low turnover rate which is
literally almost unprecedented I mean
that's crazy I try and treat people
exactly the way they'd want to be
treated exactly the way I would have
want to be treated I'm happy with my
people I realize my people aren't the
company if my people go my god the
company goes people are your company and
they take care of the customer the
customer is always right no matter what
so what do we do so the customers
happier if somebody's unhappy would try
and discover why and because you treat
people this way and we'd love them you
walk in our company it's love if you go
to the front desk here in Century City
this girl just has the biggest Mustang
hi welcome to John Paul Mitchell Systems
she loves up what she does our big
problem is we don't have turnover we
have so many people out of work for us
and the things you got away for somebody
to die now as we drill we'll add one or
two on obviously at a time sure and
we're pretty big now because we're in 96
countries patrones the same way we're in
about 130 countries in the world and
even when I went to visit our people in
Mexico to our facility we make patron
it's made with love we have about 15
1800 people down there and I have
several of them does it upset you about
what's going on the United States where
they may close more of the border and
you know do you guys want to go to
America and everyone acid are you
kidding we can free lunch if we work at
night we get free dinner here you're so
nice to us you pay is good money now
we're fine here we want to go that's how
you take care of people anywhere in the
world you don't boss them around you
include what you're doing and how do you
systematize that because I get it if
you're there every day like you like
every everybody I've ever heard talk
about you and some of them are people
that like I know
know like everyone says you just exude
like what you put on for the camera is
you like that's really how you are and
it's there's a warmth to it there's a
sense of love and appreciation and
but how do you systematize that how do
you make sure that it pervades your
company even when you're not there we
let all the companies know what we do
and why we do it we have a culture we
give you an example we have a gun almost
120 Paul Mitchell schools throughout the
United States cosmetology schools every
one of them has to be involved in our
culture not only do you learn how to be
a great hairdresser hair stylist / a
colorist right but you have to be part
of the culture they raise money every
school we have has to raise money every
year part of that money goes to local
community parts of the nation in part to
the world they learn in school was good
to give and help others out they also
learn what our principles are now we
started a John Paul Mitchell Systems a
very unique position the way that's
running her name is marek or dean and
she is our ambassador of corporate
culture so what she does is goes around
to our whole company make sure everybody
is reminded of our culture what we do
all new people must go through the
doctrine a Chinon what our culture is
all about and then recently because we
do so much stuff people don't know about
we started a magazine over the internet
that goes through a whole universe in
their universes that shows what we do is
that cut me to share and change the
entire world whatever you want connected
with us is part of that whether its
buying a new Coast Guard Cutter for the
sea shepherd to protect wells in the
open seas whether it's taking care of
7,000 orphans in Africa whose parents
have died of AIDS whether it's redoing
Appalachia whether it's here in Los
Angeles Crystal's getting homeless back
to work they're all part of it all the
things we're doing this country so they
also like they're a part of it well when
you're part of something really big and
people take care of you and love you and
you know something went wrong you can
immediately get a hold of the founder
going to cut me me and talk to me
directly I live mainly in Austin Texas
but if I'm probably in the world which I
do a lot you know my executive
assistants say we want to talk to JP
privately whether it's Paul Mitchel John
Paul Peck of Rock patron all companies
do exactly the same thing we try to take
care of people if someone screws up we
remind them hey how would you like that
that was you you wouldn't like that
something I want to share with your
guests also if I may is if anytime
someone screws up don't ever ever
reprimand them in public always
reprimand them behind closed doors
one-on-one so nobody hears if they hear
it they're going to be covert hostile to
you they'll stab in the back every
chance it's the opposite for praise if
someone does something good praise them
loudly in front of as many people as you
can even if it's one person it makes
them feel good and they were
acknowledged in front of others little
things like this helps keep that culture
to it now I think those little things
are super crucial the obvious question
is to say okay how do we look for the
right person to hire into that
environment I'm going to ask the flip
how can a potential employee evaluate a
company what should they look for in a
company and what how should they be in
an interview to to get the job in life
we don't always know what we want to do
I didn't always know but in life we find
out quickly what we don't want to do so
we very very taught me try and look at
what it is you want to do you're going
to be the boss what is that you enjoy
being around what makes you get up and
say I can't wait to hear the office we
have people Paul Mitchell working at 7 8
o'clock and I don't have to one day I
walked in there was tenable what are you
doing there we want to finish our
projects you don't have to we all went
out to dinner I was like God because
they love what they're doing so one is
find out what you want to do and then
try it out whatever you can about the
company now if you go online there's
going to be nothing but nice stuff or in
the newspapers but if you get a chance
to talk to them when you go down to be
interviewed just Esav if you wouldn't
mind talking to a couple of the people
receptions a great person you walk how's
it going how you like working here is it
a happy place or just very businesslike
no one's going to represent for that be
sure when you go in your interview a lot
of people aren't confident enough to do
this it's a small thing look the person
in the eye or look between the eyes or
on their eye rather cat-like in the eye
okay and just be just relax the more
uptight you are the more you try and be
exactly perfect the more you turn
somebody off they see that all day long
just go in and be yourself if you're
higher for being yourself you're going
to like it if you're hired for being
somebody else that walks interview
you're not going to be happier than
iring you be yourself if it flows they
ask you questions you have the right
answers it's the right thing for you
you're set if it doesn't work while
you're being interviewed for you or the
other person it's not the right thing
for you maybe there's something else
waiting for you you're jesting could be
elsewhere yeah very true how did you
when did you first start thinking about
philanthropy because in the beginning
I'm sure it's just like trying to get
the business off the ground and but it
really does seem
foundational to your companies when did
that really solidify into these are the
causes that we care about this is what
we're gonna get another beautiful
question it started when I had nothing
at six years old my mother would take my
brother night at downtown LA department
stores the Christmas little trains going
around puppets we thought we were the
coolest kids to see that and I was six
years old at the time and my mom gave my
brother night eight dime and it's just
something you never forget his boys I
want you each told half this time walk
over and putting the red bucket of that
man ringing the bell and we did we said
mom why do we give that guy a dime now
I'm older than you are in those days had
I would buy two big Coca Cola's or three
candy bars Wow with the law go okay and
she said boys it's because that's a
group called The Salvation Army and they
help people have no home and no food she
says and we want to do some because in
life there'll always be someone has
lesson you don't forget a boy's this
year we could only afford a dime because
we don't have much waiting for one night
book we did something and if we couldn't
afford this time I'd be volunteering
ringing the bell with them always do
something in life if you can either with
your time or might help somebody else
out and I
we forgot that it just came as part of a
culture start with normal and what are
some of the most emotional impactful
moments for you as a part of your
philanthropy I think going to Africa the
first time and meeting some of the 7,000
children ages one day to 12 years old
all parents have died of AIDS are the
kids that are thrown away all the kids
are brought through these various
orphanages where we feed and we protect
and we educate them when the most
touching moments on that was while I was
there we had a photo shoot we bought the
orphans and wit was a photo shoot we did
a campaign one year we had all these
African children her hands and one
little boy will guess his age to be a
year and half two years old was only one
not smiling and the story behind him was
that he was pulled out of a trash can
the day before dropped off as they were
leaving they said well no cotton they
brought him with him there and the boy
was just bewildered you know Trash Can
as skinny as can be and the other kids
were you know eating a little candy bars
that were given to him eating a soda pop
said before we left the photo shoot he
picked up a soda pop and drank it and we
were just hugging him and the kids
smiled it was like tears come out of the
eyes you know just beautiful if I could
share this also with your people in a
very nice lesson to learn about giving
is in life whenever you can do something
for somebody else and ask nothing in
return not even a thank you nothing just
do it because it has to be done you'll
get the greatest toy you'll ever have in
your life great aside there's no drug no
nothing that'll surpass that and I know
what highs all about of a child in 60s
anyways but you know this is a greatest
time in the world the great sign in the
world you can there's nothing no that
that will surpass it tell me a little
bit more about grow Appalachia so your
system there is pretty interesting it's
sort of a don't give a man a fish teach
them to fish oh yeah started in about
2010 when people were hungry on food
stamps and I found out to one of my
staff members there's about a hundred
and fifty thousand families on food
stamps I so let me try and take on half
of them if I could at least so I paired
up with Bria College to give me
assistance I paid for it all and the
deal was to go into the country where
these people are trying to get with
churches community centers and
would pay for the irrigation the seeds
everything and Brea would help me with
some volunteers and I paid a couple
people full-time to work for us we would
teach people how to grow their own
vegetables first year was this grow your
own vegetables to feed you and your
family and here's how you can things and
jars for the winter so you have food all
year long that was pretty good phase two
would be this phase two is now you know
how to do it you grow more what do you
think
fine people around you that need some or
help them grow stuff because you don't
know I don't know but start selling it
in local grocery stores or farmers
markets has organically grown produce
now you have an income pretty still
going to the third year we have chickens
going in there here's a dozen chickens
now you have eggs and then we had a
couple get into bees now you have honey
all of a sudden they were totally
self-sufficient and many of them out
there now with little businesses because
of it I believe today we're about thirty
five thousand that we feed off your own
garden no don't work don't expect the
government to make the changes the major
ones if they help out god bless we want
them help out the people have to do it
it's we the people of the United States
of America you want to change how do you
do it where do you volunteer to do it
you know how do you volunteer to do it
you want to change good what groups
doing I'm going to be part of them I'm
going to be part of we the people that
change it not wait forever we to give
something to me because it's the thing
to do I'm going to make things change
today more people are involved in
changing the world for the better for
the people of planet than ever ever
before in June a movie is going to come
out called good fortune I worked on it
with Joss Tikal won many awards and it's
all about how to go from nothing to
something but change the world while
you're doing it but it's called good
fortune of going on TV and I'm on TV all
the time your major stations
occasionally have me come on and say JP
you represent the 1% of all people what
do you think of this - the 1% of the 99%
I think you should pay more taxes what
do you think and I look right now I and
they say can we talk to a flea here of
course JP that's why you're on I am the
99%
I am the 1% it's we the people isn't it
the American dream to have a chance to
do so good you could buy nice things for
you and your family and if along the way
you give back isn't that wonderful it's
We the People and by the way did you
know at that time there's about 150 of
us and we're all billionaires most of us
came from nothing made of the American
Way but do you know that we're all
billionaires we've all pledged 50% of
our wealth while we're alive or after we
die to change the planet for the people
and the plan for the better you want to
people are members of this now have you
ever talked about it Bill Gates Warren
Buffett I go on and on these people give
so much back already and so much
dedicated after they die to change the
planet so 1% versus 99% how about we
embrace one another because that
so-called 1% is doing so much and in
many cases more than our government is
doing tilt the rest out so if you had an
ultra successful friend come to you and
say ok look it's time now that I really
do something meaningful with my money
what would you encourage them to do
first of all what either upset you most
about the planet whether it's your
country your city or the world what
upset you most when you hear something
or what do you see wrong that you would
love to change even in a small way if
you could what do you see something big
what touches your heart not what looks
good if I do this I'll look like a hero
what touches your heart now I love that
do you think that there are
entrepreneurial principles that need to
be applied to some of the the more cause
oriented things so I think when people
think about an entrepreneur they usually
think purely about profit and so when it
gets into NGOs and nonprofits it's like
well does it really make sense to me
it's like what we really need to make
change is
the money no question but it's also
people that know how to think like what
you're doing with grow Appalachia where
it's turning it into something that
becomes self-sustaining ok cells exactly
and the way to do that is take someone
like yourself anyone out there so
charity really like there's a strong
possibility it may not be managed the
way you would manage a for-profit
business what do you do you go and help
them here's how you merchandise for your
product is your charity that's your
product your cause well how do I get
this disseminated to more people how do
I do that how do i do within the budget
we have how do I expand within the
budget we have if we need more money how
do i creatively help raise more money so
that it comes to a good cause of the
other end so all too often
businesspeople get involved and don't
think about well let me help the
organization do better that's a good way
they can all go our super random
question for you what are three things
that you taught your kids that you think
have helped them be successful one is be
prepared for a lot of rejection the
other is whatever service or business
you're involved in a thing you do make
sure it's the highest quality there is
and always remember kids and they do
success and shared is failure I love
that Club and we don't spoil our kids my
kids grew up even my last one it was now
nineteen half years old when he was 12
and we were doing good in business his
allowance every week was $12 when he was
13 was $13 but between 13 to 14 he had
to sit down with dad he says dad you
were born a long time he says give me
$13 dad I go to the movie theater one
time that and a coca-cola or any soda
bub not from Elko anything the money's
gone have no more money left dad he says
it costs more I said son no you're right
you are so I upped it to $20
but none of my kids thank God my kids
aren't spoiled they work they know the
value of a dollar they even have a job
like well his job was full-time student
and if they could study great if they
couldn't during that I would take him to
work with me or something like that
right some of my kids just did some on
their own you know and then once of
course are able to actually have a
regular job they start looking for jobs
on their own I had one son my oldest to
start his own little business with no
money trying to get an artist to go to a
salon and train them and he would have a
little money in between you know it's
amazing what they do Michael a my 32
year old brilliant and she's
vice-chairman of John Paul Mitchell
Systems that's another thing too if you
have any kids good example of this one
she says I said he started go started as
a reception she says no I only did her
work in the warehouse I'm gonna have
every job in the company's back really
is it cool so she stayed there until she
learned it and went through all of it
well you better believe our people love
us enough she knows us so then several
years ago she became our director of
future development right did what she
did so well everyone loved her my own
pressin said you should promote her
device Jim that's where she is it's
really really interesting because I'm
imagining them all following you're like
the four peas and then make sure they
have the best product and so yet for
peers we've got a profit people be
positive and help the planet I love to
be positive how did that make the list
so of all the things in the world that
you could say are like the secrets that
being positive is one of the main things
that people need to do how did you
happen on that in life whether it's
personal or people around me when you
see people that are positive but look at
something good and something bad they
took place they move along in life
faster they're veteran and people want
to be around these people I mean too
often people gossip the one gossip
person wants be around the other person
that gossips but they don't realize when
you gossip you're saying something heard
about somebody else you're telling
everybody what if part of it was wrong
you had to go out and tell every person
you told this oh I'm sorry it was wrong
tell everybody you told it's not going
to happen so it's things you learn about
don't gossip don't belittle people if
you don't have to god please don't try
and look at the positive angle what good
could come out of something and that
possum this is going to make you live
longer happier and wake up in the
morning happy not oh my god I got to go
to work I can't wait til I get home I
want to retire because people are not
positive they're not happy and what
happens they retire they hate their job
they retire three or four years later
their debts they have nothing to do that
positive attitude be around positive
people encourage positiveness if you
find yourself walking around just
complaining all the time around people
that complain a lot man move or just try
and do something different change your
life being positive and a positive
attitude is find something positive and
something bad makes you look for
solutions
when I was down and out okay boom Oh pop
bottles let's get the pop bottles cash
em in I love that because I until you
said that I knew that people listening
we're thinking what's easy for you to be
positive you're a billionaire so but the
fact that you were positive even when
you had to be looking for the bottle
recycled to make sure need to get you
99-cent meals that's incredible alright
I have a question in today's environment
where it is the business landscape is so
crowded and it seems like all the good
ideas have already been taken how can
you go in and create space and build a
company in today's environment the best
way to explain it is by actually doing
something let's take a huge business
throughout the world one of the biggest
telecommunications you have giant phone
companies chefs servers that on your
cellular phone is almost like a
lifestyle male right well how does
someone get on that industry and
obviously you get all the Giants you're
going up against that multi millions of
billions of dollars how do you do it
well you look at what the industry is
lacking and pull the industry into it
give you an example is one of my latest
companies Rock ROK Mobile Rock Mobile
believe it or not we found the opening
something how we did it for
$49 a month on your cell phone any cell
phone any smartphone we found a way to
give people all their telephone calls to
United States of Mexico 500
international minutes free their texting
their data all their music over 20
million songs
$100,000 worth of accidental life
insurance telemedicine seven days a week
24 hours a day adoptions on the other
than the phone with you talking you see
what's going on now and pick your
carrier who works best for you here now
how do we pull this off with these
Giants well we did a little research we
know people want their lifestyle if
possible to be on that cell phone if
possible but a lot of people can't
afford a cell phone or they pay so much
money average person I talk to pace one
two sometimes three hundred bucks a
month go international goes crazy on you
but uh so we did this we went to for
example the music companies the big
music companies know there's Warner
Brothers University of Sony right and
said God we'd like to be another avenue
for you and your artist one you don't
have right now yeah it sounds pretty
good we give you a piece of it all good
went to five hundred five hundred other
labels got them come onboard went to big
carrier and said look we know that you
have something called the churnin a new
word I learned where every year twenty
twenty-five percent of your business you
lose to another carrier who has a better
deal here's what we have it that dent we
had just the music when the texting the
data and that right they said yeah we
could probably get some people back with
that and then we were able to go to
insurance companies and say we're
presenting we have all these millions
and by the way we took out a patent we
have the patent on an app that would
have whether it's a medical insurance
any kind of insurance on there and
little by little they all got involved
all of a sudden out weren't
telecommunications in a very very big
way but the better part of it is this
how do I go back to my startup tell
those people out variety Boys and Girls
Club in East LA for I would pay 25 cents
for would itself their fifty cents is a
big wooden flowerpot right so we thought
let's help them out let's help the inner
city in New York will sell part of them
is help people out so what we're doing
right now is with our profit is they're
saying kids we want to help you have a
good allowance so if you'd like to you
have the service for yourself or your
family or anybody you know we're to give
you five dollars every single month for
a year that's your allowance if 10
people have it that's fifty dollars a
month okay if a hundred people have it
and people cancel whatever they want but
they're still on there that's five
hundred dollars a month for one year
it's how to have something so low
everybody wants that it needs it it
changes the landscape and for us and
volume we'll make money but it shares it
along the way when you share success on
shared is failure and that's how Rock is
just exploding right now just taking off
all underground word-of-mouth that's one
I'll give you another one real quick we
found out that
3.7 billion people have the cold sore
virus
o2 every three people have it right
somebody camping once a few years goes
to JP we've been working with Native
Americans universities on a gel that
comes out of plants its plant-based gel
right and someone has a cold sore you
put it on and in most cases they feel
the tingle the cold store doesn't come
out if it comes out you put on every
hour and almost everyone we gave it to
it's gone in less than two days I said
really so we started giving it to people
all of a sudden people are saying oh my
god this gets rid of that cold sore and
it's invisible in less than two days so
I spent millions of dollars during the
double-blind studies and everything else
so now for like you know less than 30
bucks someone can buy a tube of audio a
ubi oh is what it's called au for gold
by Oprah Nature a ubi oh they go online
and buy it they go to Target they can go
to Rite Aid they could go to you know
all these beers are Dean distribution
yeah sorry in distribution you just got
it out there because the people usin
said wow this is something this stuff is
unbelievable right and there's nothing
you know large chains that have it but
for sure right it has it at Target and
CVS has it also so we could go in that
industry and say we have something new
we have something different it's
realistically priced were not ripping
everybody off so as people think about
it look at even these big businesses
what niche would you like to see happen
cell phones God we'd love to see it less
expensive no limitations around all
these other goodies look for that niche
what does it need how can you put it
together and help the environment along
the way if you could do it yeah looking
for ways to disrupt people and really
fundamentally take a different approach
so yeah take an old industry look at it
what's something that we can bring from
today that maybe companies of old aren't
thinking about sometimes it's even just
new technology to modernize the systems
to make it simpler oh yeah all right I
have one final question for you but
first where can these guys find you
online well I don't have a website I
cannot even do internet but the best way
to find me is go to John Paul Mitchell
Systems that's one way okay then we have
here's our philanthropy art the other is
go to patron spirits comm see what we're
doing there or you go straight to my
foundation it's called JP's peace love
and happiness
family foundation you can see some
things we do some things were involved
with very cool or I think you just go
online type my name and all kinds of
stuff all kinds of stuff comes amazed of
what people say but also it's good so
that's cool get a chance when it comes
out go see a good fortune I did it to
try and spread the word of overcoming
obstacles so you could do it no question
I'll check that out in a heartbeat I've
read a synopsis of it it sounds amazing
I mean it's your life story so I cannot
wait alright my final question what is
the impact that you want to have on the
world while he was here on this planet
it is you inform he did something to
make the planet better off because he
was here he paid really good rent it was
happy because of it all of that
john-paul thing she's always present
later on this is I can't thank you
enough
guys this is somebody like he said all
you need to do is drop his name into
Google and I promise you an avalanche of
amazing things are going to befall you
the amount of philanthropy that he's
doing is incredible and when you look at
his for-profit companies and see that
they have as a part of their very DNA a
philanthropic spirit it's incredible and
it is not surprising to me even though
mathematically I can't make it make
sense it isn't surprising to me that
he's had such small turnover when you
put people first when you actually care
not pretend to care but you actually
care about them and you care about what
happened to them and you're the kind of
person that is able to see the positive
even in your darkest moments that even
in your darkest moments you are looking
for the path through you're looking for
the next level up and when you get there
you're looking for the level above that
and never from a predatory standpoint
and here's something that I didn't
understand ten years ago so let me tell
you when he says that they made a
promise to the beauty industry that they
would always sell through the salons he
left hundreds of millions of dollars on
the table and every day that he refuses
to do that he's literally leaving money
on the table but he's doing it because
he knows that if he migrates away from
those people who are working in the
salons and moves it out to broader and
broader distribution that it will hurt
the people that helped him build it so
why does he do it
to be honorable that's it it isn't a
smart business move she's literally
doing it to be honorable I respect that
more than you know guys this is somebody
that you're going to want to research
and see the way that he thinks about the
world and the way that he thinks about
business because to me it is the future
the generations coming up are going to
make the demand that every company has
like this and you're going to need to be
this way whether you want to be or not
needs been doing it since the 80s it is
astonishing he is leading the way for an
entire generation follow that lead
alright guys this is a weekly show if
you haven't already be sure to subscribe
and until next time my friends be
legendary take care
okay
everybody thanks so much for joining us
for another episode of impact Theory if
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